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Friday, May 25, 2012

Sepia Saturday: On the Street Where You Live

Sepia Saturday challenges
bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo prompt
features a busy marketplace complete with cows, hotel, shoppers, and the
Waterford coffee and tea van, perhaps a forerunner of food trucks and
kiosks.The community where I grew up in
the 50s and 60s was once equally vibrant while today it struggles to revitalize
itself.

Photo by Laura Purvis

Cradock is a historic neighborhood built in 1918 to house
shipyard workers during World War I since the neighboring city of Portsmouth, Virginia
was not equipped to handle the large numbers of workers moving in.It is significant because it was the first
government-funded community in the US. Cradock
was designed as a fully self-contained pedestrian neighborhood of 35 blocks
surrounding a shopping district close enough for most residents to walk to
stores, to school, to church, to a library and post office, and to recreation areas.The same theories used in planning Cradock
are being used today, but now it’s called “new urbanism.”

Cradock was named for Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock
whose fleet was sunk by the Germans in 1914. The street layout is based on an
anchor with Gillis Road (where I lived) forming the stock and the main
thoroughfare Afton Parkway forming the shank.The curved part is created by Alden and Dahlgren Avenues.Many of the roads were named for naval
heroes.

Inspired by Howard over at Postcards Then and Now I’ve put together some before and after shots of the commercial
district of Cradock.Let’s go shopping in Cradock then and now.

1. At
the corner of Gillis and Afton was Reds, a bit of a forerunner of convenience
stores where you could get lunch as well as buy light bulbs, cleaning supplies,
toys, and candy.I was scared of this
store because greasy boys smoking
cigarettes were always hanging around.However, I had to be brave and go in because Reds carried the best selection
of Barbie doll clothes.

Today it is a pawn shop. Next door was a hardware store, and I see by the Gliddens
paint sign that it still is.At the
opposite corner was a bakery and later a florist.I don’t know what is there now.

2.Across the street was a dry cleaners (although it was some other business in this older photo).It later housed a talented upholsterer who did some work for us.

Now, the stores are home to a real estate management company and some other office.

3.Moving on up Afton Parkway the road becomes “one way” around a circle.

Older photos from HistoricCradock.org

The park in the middle was where
every summer Holy Angels Catholic Church held its annual bazaar.We went every night.We could play Bingo, enjoy ponies and carnival
rides, play carnival games and win cheap prizes (my favorite was picking a
plastic duck out of the “pond” to see if I was a winner – yeah, I’m easily
entertained).And cotton candy!Cotton candy EVERY. DAY.This park remains although not quite as lush
as it used to be, but it still sees plenty of action with fall festival and
other “Come Home to Cradock” activities.

4. This
part of the shopping strip gives a good view of the “new urbanism” concept with
apartments above the stores.On the
right was Highs Ice Cream.Five cents a dip when I
was a kid.On the far left corner was
Moys.They ran both a Chinese laundry
and take-out restaurant.We used to get
their chow mein quite often.A variety
of businesses have come and gone over the years including appliance stores,
antique shops, thrift stores, and beauty parlors.

5.Here’s
the bank where I had my little savings account and Christmas club. Now it is the latest of a series of restaurants that have tried to make it there. The empty lot was once Overtons
Supermarket.We did most of our grocery
shopping at Colonial Store on the highway, but if we needed something right away,
Momma sent me to Overtons.

6. Going to the Afton
Theater was everybody’s Saturday activity.The ladies’ restroom had a vestibule with a picture window where you
could continue watching the movie while your friend was occupied.Sometimes we hid in the bathroom after the movie
so we could sneak back in and watch it again for free.There have been several failed attempts to
raise funds to refurbish the place for 2nd run movies or little theater.Right now it’s a gutted disaster. Next door was a drug store with the best selection of penny candy.

7. Downfrom the Afton, the
shop on the corner was a fabric store where Momma was a frequent customer since
she made most of our clothes.At one
time it was run by her high school friend Bertie Winn Campbell.It is now just a variety store or junk shop.

8. Chapman’s market was a meat market.My grandmother sometimes helped out since the Chapmans were old family friends.

Now look at that stretch of Afton Parkway. So depressing.

9.The Gazebo (bandstand) has always been the heart of “downtown
Cradock.”It was originally on Prospect
Parkway but was moved to its current location in Afton Park in the circle to be a focal point for community
activities.

Photo by Laura Purvis

Whether in times of prosperity or poverty, the bandstand will probably
always be important in the hearts of Cradock citizens as a reminder of the Cradock
that once was and the hope of what Cradock could be again.

To see what else is happening in the neighborhood, head
over to Sepia Saturday.

44 comments:

I really enjoyed reading about the history of Cradock. It's interesting that it's the first government funded community. I hope that the revitalization efforts continue and that this area will be vibrant in the future.

It is sad. There is a directory online of everyone who lived in Cradock in 1956, and it was like having a little reunion reading all those familiar names. Now everyone is gone, either dead or moved away (including us).

I really enjoyed your 'Then and Now' Photo Tour. Again, I'm so amazed at the vintage photos you have. Craddock's Revitalization Committee needs to hire you to do a Calendar with this theme! Great pot for Sepia Saturday!

Oh, Wendy, this is awesome! It makes me want to go there, or really it makes me wish that I could have come across the country and visited you at your house and with your family when you were still living there. I had to laugh at your favorite game being picking up the ducks. One of my favorite rides when I was little were the boats going around in a circle in 1' of water. I was always a bit worried about tipping over, lol. That is so neat that your Mom made your clothes too. Hugs!

A wonderful visit to your town then and now. I liked that you were so determined to get your Barbie doll clothes - you were brave enough to pass by the greasy punks.I wish towns were all designed with everything in easy walking distance. In calif. you haveTo drive everywhere.Nancy

Wendy, I loved the "then and now" concept of this post. It was great fun to travel with you through Craddock and see how things have changed. Five-cent ice cream cones were a big part of my childhood, too. The price of those has changed drastically, hasn't it?

It must be the only town in the world to be made in the shape of an anchor. I love "then and now" photos, somehow the 'then' always looks more vibrant now that out of town stores have taken over. I live in shipbuilding town, lots of our older streets are named after admirals etc. It must be a feature of these types of towns.

Well done with the now and then pictures; it's so interesting to compare. To live in a community like that with everything within walking distance must have been wonderful. As Tony says it's reminiscent of many English villages and towns, now sadly disappearing.

Looking back at old familiar places is not always comforting as things just don't feel the same. I know the feeling, especially when I visited my parents in my old neighborhood...The Chapmans was my favorite here, with the signage, and the bikes in front of the stores, it does speak of a certain era. Thanx 4 sharing!!:)~ HUGZ

Enjoyed your post - the annual bazaar sounded like alot of fun. I would have been there every night too. It's a shame the present can't be like our memories - it really is true, you can never go back home. It was sad to see the present pics of your hometown contrasted with the 1950s photos when Cradock was probably in its heyday. Hope the town will be revitalized some day.

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About Me

My name is Wendy. About twenty years ago, I helped my mother research the Jolletts. Since retiring from teaching, I have expanded my research which I share here. When I’m not looking for my own family, I index for FamilySearch and the Greene County Historical Society.
Welcome to Jollett Etc. Please leave a comment to let me know you were here. If you have more information or believe we are related, EMAIL ME at wendymath at cox dot net